


Brothers Lost

by therune



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-07
Updated: 2012-04-07
Packaged: 2017-11-03 05:03:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/377585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therune/pseuds/therune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>kinkmeme request: Malik and Leonardo getting along well</p>
<p>Of course it became a drama with the loss of family and a lot of  painful memories</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brothers Lost

It's been a few days since Ezio´s attempts at studying the apple have brought two men through time and space. He still bears the bruises from Altair´s initial reaction, but luckily the other man - Malik is his name - has stopped the fight from escalating. Ezio has learned so much in the last days - a lot of Arabic, assassination techniques, climbing techniques, that his revered ancestor can't hold his liquor and that Malik doesn't need two arms to beat him senseless.

If Ezio thought that his friend Leonardo was a very excitable man before, he would classify him as positively giddy and energetic now. Leonardo bubbles over with questions, wants to know this and that, sketches the two newcomers whenever he can, asks to inspect their weaponry, their clothes and is astounded how the two assassins move. Ezio may be a skilled assassin now, but he spent his childhood playing with his siblings, climbing trees and being protected by his father. Malik and Altair spent their childhood fighting, training, sculpting themselves to perfection.  
How they walk, how they hold themselves is an endless source of wonder for Leonardo.  
Ezio is happy for his friend, but he can't help but feel the little pang of jealousy. Leonardo used to marvel when he moved, when he jumped from rooftops, when he smiled.

However, he can control himself, at least he could before the little incident.  
Ezio spends more time with Altair, learning, asking questions, training and then running from him as fast as he can whenever he does something to anger him. Whenever he trains with Malik, he feels bad for beating a defenseless man, until he realizes that Malik is anything but defenseless and then proceeds to beat Ezio with an inch of his life who wants now to fight back but is never able to. Malik resents him for that, for thinking him weak. Ezio has learned that Malik's temper is sharper and more harmful than any sword. After fights like these, Altair smiles and it's eerie how different they look, despite being so similar in every other way. Altair's smile is small, wicked, but happy nontheless. He tells Ezio not to underestimate Malik; the man has been an assassin for more years than Ezio has been alive and losing an arm has neither made him weaker, slower or more forgiving. Whenever Altair and Malik train together, it's like watching feral beasts tearing at each other; they use weapons, fists, legs and in one incident, even teeth. After they're done, they lean on each other, poke at the injuries on the other, grin and mutter something that must either be insults or praise, Ezio is never sure what Malik says.

So, Malik spends more time with Leonardo. Ezio sees with distrust how different Malik is around Leonardo. His face, most of the time in a dark scowl or expression of displeasure, lights up and a smile lies on his lips. He takes time to explain things to Leonardo and never tires of his questions and requests. The incident that made Ezio's insides burn with jealousy - as childish as it may be - happened on one stormy afternoon. The four men were in Leonardo's workshop when Leonardo announced that he had to purchase some materials. Ezio tried to convince him to do it another day for it was raining already and the sky was dark, but Leonardo wouldn't have any of it and got himself ready to go. Ezio even offered to go in Leonardo's stead as he could take some shortcuts and possibly save a bit of money - not that mentioned that out loud - but Leonardo merely laughed and replied that he needed specific materials and he didn't trust Ezio to find something suitable for his eccentric tastes. Leonardo spent too much time with Malik for Ezio's liking. He couldn't be mad at Leonardo though as his friend gave him a wide smile, a big hug and promised to be back soon. Malik rose and offered to accompany Leonardo which he accepted. Ezio scowled. As the two left the workshop, he pouted and drew his knees to his chin. Fine! If Leonardo wanted to go with Malik and not him - so be it! He wasn´t jealous, except that he was. He knew that he was behaving like a brat who has to share his favorite toy, but he felt a protective streak stir inside him whenever Leonardo was involved.

 

Leonardo did so much for him, but even just the past association with the Auditore family had brought him nothing but trouble. Ezio had the irrational fear that his friends could get hurt just because they knew him, as if his presence was poisonous to others.  
Leonardo was gone for too long and so Ezio decided to look outside. He climbed on the roof and looked for Leonardo. He spotted his friend soon enough as the streets were almost deserted and his friend's bright red hat and cape stood out even more. He was carring bags in his two arms, chatting with Malik who walked at his side. Suddenly a gust of wind snatched Leonardo's beret and it flew to a nearby rooftop. Ezio could not see but imagine the hurt-puppy-look on Leonardo's face. He wanted to run over to fetch Leonardo's hat, but Malik had already climbed up. He fetched the hat and then dove into a flower cart. Malik rolled out of there and walked over to Leonardo. Ezio had crept closer and saw the bright smile on Leonardo's face - a smile that should only belong to him - and then it happened. Malik ruffled Leonardo's hair gently and then placed the hat back on its owner's head. Then he slung an arm around Leonardo's shoulder and laughed. Together they entered the workshop.

Ezio was furious for reasons he didn't want to think about. Malik had no right to Leonardo's smile, to his hugs and certainly not his hair! Not being able to face either of them, Ezio left and disappeared into the rainstorm.

The next day he had calmed down and with the firm resolve to behave like an adult - and not to cling to Leonardo and yell "Mine!" - he enters the workshop. He can hear someone hammering - probably Leonardo - and sees Altair lounge on a chair, observing a tiny model of the flying machine in his hands.  
"Safety and Peace," Altair greets him without looking up.  
"Safety and Peace," Ezio replies, feeling neither of both. Malik is conspicuously absent.  
"Where's Malik?" he asks.  
"Torturing some training dummies," Altair says and jerks his head towards one side. Through the window Ezio can see Malik train with his sword, hacking viciously at puppets made of straw and wood and looking positively gleeful about it.  
"Hey, little one, something the matter? Did Malik beat you up again?"  
Ezio hates how Altair had taken to calling him things like "little one", "squirt", "junior" and the like.  
"No," he barked.  
"Little one, I am not blind. You resent Malik - somehow understandable - but there is more behind it. Perhaps something connected to your friend?"  
"No," Ezio replies, "yes, I mean." He thinks about it for a moment. He doesn't have any family besides mamma, Claudia and Mario, and they are far away in Monteriggioni, out of his reach. And Altair is family....of some sort. He has been dead for hundreds of years and Ezio has only known the man for a few days, but he is the closest thing, now that Leonardo is out of the question.  
"You are jealous," Altair states bluntly.  
"No, I'm not...yes, I am. It didn't use to be so...I never..."  
"Sit down, junior, let me tell you something."  
Ezio sits down besides Altair who has a strange look on his face, one of guilt, pain and sadness.  
"Malik is not the kind of person who is very friendly, who is kind and smiles a lot. He is a mean, vicious bastard, sometimes. But there is one person for whom he never had a harsh word, who could always make him smile and to whom he was always kind."  
Altair averts his eyes.  
"His brother, Kadar. He was younger than Malik and I, and Malik was very protective of him. Your friend, Leonardo, he reminds me of him. Kadar smiled very often, he had blue eyes - just like him - and he was very curious, always asking questions, always coming to his brother when he needed something, and no matter what it was, Malik would fetch it for him. Then...Kadar died and Malik lost his arm, it was like a part of himself had died as well. If you think Malik mean now, you should have seen him years ago. But after meeting your friend...I have not seen him smile like that in a long time. He sees his little brother in your friend, Ezio." 

Ezio feels as if the air has been sucked from the room. His jealousy and anger turn into shame and regret. Malik sees his baby brother - his dead baby brother - in Leonardo. Ezio wants to disappear, he feels so stupid and embarrassed. He can understand him, having lost his papà, Federico and Petruccio. To be honest, he isn't sure if sometimes he doesn't see his lost family in Leonardo, too, sometimes. Leonardo can banter with him just like Federico, he is wise and intelligent like papà and as with Petruccio, Ezio wants nothing more than to keep him safe. He can't be angry with Malik anymore, not after that. Ezio rises.  
"What are you going to do?" Altair asks. He seems strange, somehow.  
"I have to apologize, I´m going to speak to Malik."  
He steps out of the workshop and approaches Malik.

"I need to speak with you," he says.  
"Maybe I don't want to speak with you," Malik spits and beheads one of the dummies with his sword.  
"I came to apologize-"  
"If this is about treating me like a weakling because of my arm, forget it. Slamming your face into the dirt has more than made up for that."  
"It's not about that, I'm sorry for being so ...hostile."  
"I can't say that I care for your approval nor your behavior towards myself. Now go before this blade slices you to pieces."  
"I was jealous about how much time you spend with Leonardo and I'm sorry, but I was angry at you. Altair told me about Kadar and-"  
"Silence!" Malik thunders. Ezio has never seen him so furious. He is trembling, clutching his sword so close that his knuckles turned white.  
"Don't speak of my brother!"  
"Malik, I understand-"  
"How can you understand that?! How?!"  
Ezio doesn't want to shout, but his emotions, the pain about the death of Federico and Petruccio plaguing him, get the better of him.  
"Because I saw my brothers die in front of my own eyes, unable to stop it, unable to help. If I could turn back time, if I could die in their stead, I would do it in a heartbeat. I know what it feels like to lose your brothers, to know how it feels to have a part of you die until there is nothing left but darkness and pain. I...I know how it feels like to awake screaming, calling for someone who won't come, and I know what it feels like to wish that you could join them in their graves."  
The sword clutters to the ground.  
Malik slumps onto the ground, defeated. Ezio sits down beside him, and after a moment's hesitation, wraps his arms around Malik.  
"I'm sorry, Malik. It just...I was so stupid, it felt like you were taking Leonardo away from me and...I hate that. I couldn't bear it."  
Malik rests his forehead against Ezio´s.  
"You are a stupid novice, exactly like your grandfather."  
"I'll tell him you called him that."  
"I count on it."


End file.
